


Coffee Break

by coolbreezemage



Series: Three Words Prompts [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Humor, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25004590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolbreezemage/pseuds/coolbreezemage
Summary: “cafe, paragraph, costume” - (Byleth/Dimitri, modern AU)Byleth just wants a normal coffee and somewhere to sit out of the rain. She didn't sign up for any of this anime cosplay nonsense.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Three Words Prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810291
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	Coffee Break

**Author's Note:**

> First in a series of shorts based on randomly-generated sets of three words. I've been in a bit of a rut with writing, so I'm trying something new to shake myself out of Every Word Must Be Perfect mode. 
> 
> It rears its head: the dreaded coffee shop AU! I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

_Maybe grading papers outside with a storm coming wasn’t the best idea?_ Sothis said, sarcasm dripping off every word.

“Shut up,” Byleth muttered, holding her sweater over her head in a futile attempt to keep both her hair and the burgeoning folder of essays dry. “It was sunny just a few moments ago. Besides, you’re not the one getting wet.”

 _I wish I could,_ the little goddess replied, yearning coming into her words. She kicked her bare feet as if splashing imaginary puddles. _How I would love to dance in the rain without a care in the world!_

Byleth snorted. “You’d probably catch a cold,” she said, busy scanning the storefronts for someplace that was open this early on a Sunday. There, just off the main street, a small cafe. Byleth turned and hurried towards it. She’d never been there before, but a hot latte would be very nice after this unfortunate experience. 

She ducked through the door and was promptly accosted by two boys in extravagant brightly-colored coats. 

“Welcome!” one of them exclaimed in a very familiar voice. 

The second swept a deep bow, grinning all the while. “How can we serve you, miss?”

Byleth groaned. And remembered why she hadn’t come here before. This was the costume cafe she’d heard the students talking about. And it seemed that, with nobody else around, she was going to get the royal treatment. She didn’t have time for that. “No, no, I’m not doing this anime stuff. I just want somewhere dry to sit. And a coffee.”

“Certainly,” the first boy said, and now that Byleth looked closer she could spot Ashe’s eyes and freckles under the ridiculous wig. And the second boy wasn’t a boy at all, but Ingrid, dressed like some sort of extremely flamboyant butler. Or what a medieval anime thought a butler should look like, anyway. Byleth doubted the spiky red hair and giant foam sword were historically accurate. Not that she would judge what her students did in their free time, but…

“Come this way.” Ashe led her through the cafe to a small table at the back. She sighed and followed. Maybe they’d have good coffee, at least. “Shall I fetch you a menu?”

“I don’t need a menu, I just want a latte. A normal one,” she added before he could start asking questions. “Normal milk, normal coffee, no flavors, no whipped cream or sprinkles or any of that.”

“As my lady wishes.” Ashe vanished into a back room, leaving Byleth to unwrap her sweater from the papers and hope there weren’t too many spots where the rain had soaked through. Luckily, it seemed most of them had survived. She fished her red pen out of her pocket and returned to Annette’s paper on the history of mage battalions in combat. 

She’d gotten through another two rather rambling paragraphs when she heard someone approaching. This time, she recognized the server right away. Wigs and makeup and stupid costumes couldn’t hide Dimitri’s earnest eyes and formal bearing. Why he was wasting his time here, Byleth couldn’t guess. He obviously didn’t need the money. But she had to admit (to Sothis’s incessant snickering) that he did look very good in the long coat with medals on his chest and a sword at his belt.

He set a tray on the table. There was her latte in a tall fluted glass clearly made for much more elaborate drinks. And beside it, a delicate little floral plate holding a delicate little curly pastry dusted with sugar.

“Your order, my lady? I hope it is to your liking.” He bowed. 

“I didn’t order any food...”

“Oh! Don’t worry, it’s our treat for you.”

She looked from the pastry to the papers and back again. “It isn’t a bribe, is it? You’ll get your grades on Monday, not before.”

Dimitri blushed pink, horror coming over his face. “No, of course not! I simply thought that… you might like it.”

So it _had_ been his idea. Interesting. She picked it up and took a bite, tasting sugar and berries and cream. “It’s good,” she confirmed. 

“I’m glad,” Dimitri said, still blushing.

 _So sweet!_ Sothis giggled. _He’s so cute when he’s embarrassed._

 _Shush_ , Byleth thought. 

_Don’t try and pretend you don’t agree with me, I can see everything you think._

Byleth hid her sigh in her coffee, which had the added benefit of giving Dimitri a moment to gather his thoughts and head back to the counter where he proceeded to pretend not to be watching her. She’d probably see that blush again in class tomorrow, she thought. She took another sip of the surprisingly good coffee.

 _Good enough to come back next week?_ Sothis teased.

 _Don’t start,_ Byleth replied, but she’d already lost the argument. 


End file.
